Argentina made a major comeback in the final minutes of play against Egypt on Tuesday, narrowly securing a spot in the quarterfinals with a 3-2 finish.
The defending champions trailed 2-0 against Egypt with 11 minutes remaining when Cristian Romero started the rally by scoring with a header in the 79th minute.
Lionel Messi, who was in tears after the final whistle, scored his eighth goal of the tournament and record-extending 21st goal at the World Cup in the 83rd to level the score at 2-2 and Enzo Fernandez completed the comeback in stoppage time.
For much of Tuesday’s game, it looked like it would be a painful exit for the 39-year-old Messi in what might be the last of his six World Cups.
Egypt led after goals in each half from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico and could have been ahead 3-0 if not for a video review that ruled out another score.
Egypt thought it had doubled its lead in the second half when Mostafa Zico finished off a sweeping attack. But the wild celebrations were cut short when a foul earlier in the move was confirmed on video review and the goal was disallowed.
In another dramatic sequence, Messi had a first-half penalty saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who dove to his left to block the shot for Messi’s second penalty miss of the tournament.
Despite being the all-time leading scorer at World Cups, Messi has now missed four of eight penalty kicks at the tournament.
“The heart of Argentinians is always something that pushes, that we keep going no matter what, that we give everything until the end. And honestly, with the score 2-0, we looked a bit beaten,” Argentina striker Julian Alvarez said. “There was little time left, but we always manage to get something more by fighting until the end.”
“We looked better compared to the reigning champions. We were better in everything, but the result,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said.
Hassan said he would not watch any further games at this year’s World Cup, believing his team should have had a penalty before Argentina broke away for the winning goal.
“I’m not convinced with this outcome. I’m not convinced with the way things unfolded during this match,” he said. “I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording, selected wording, and saying hard luck and so on and so forth.
“We have been treated unfairly today,” Hassan said. “We have suffered injustice.”
Colombia falls short in penalty shootout
Colombia was on the cusp of matching its best World Cup performance but could not come through in a penalty shootout against Switzerland.
Davinson Sánchez sent his penalty over the bar, and Cucho Hernández had his attempt saved by Gregor Kobel as Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 in the shootout following a goalless 120 minutes on Tuesday.
After a scoreless draw, Ruben Vargas converted the decisive penalty and Switzerland advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals, beating Colombia 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday.
Switzerland will face defending champion Argentina on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2 earlier in the day.
Switzerland had not reached the quarterfinals of a World Cup since hosting the tournament in 1954. And the Swiss were short-handed Tuesday without young midfielder Johan Manzambi, who was injured in training on Monday.
Colombia failed to qualify for the last World Cup in 2022. They made the quarterfinals at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, defeating Uruguay in the round of 16 before losing to the host country 2-1.
Vargas, who has scored two goals in the World Cup, also left Monday’s training early but came on in stoppage time at the end of regulation.
In the shootout, Colombia defender Davinson Sánchez’s penalty attempt hit the crossbar and Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved an attempt by Cucho Hernández.
Additional sources • AP